1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, and especially relates an assembling structure of an air conditioner for a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as a case structure of an air conditioner for a vehicle, there has been known an integrated unit where an evaporator 100 and a heater core 101 are held (disposed) within an identical division case as shown in FIG. 6.
The integrated unit is constructed to accommodate and hold the evaporator 100 and the heater 200 within the identical case to reduce the number of cases. Referring to the figure, in a state where the air conditioner for a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle, after the evaporator 100 and the heater core 101 are inserted along an arrow into a lower unit case 102 disposed at the lowest position and is accommodated therein, an upper unit case 103 is assembled to cover thereon from the upper side.
The upper unit case 103 and the lower unit case 102 are assembled in such a manner that the divided (connecting) surfaces are disposed in a horizontal direction. Because, if the division surfaces are disposed in a vertical direction, there occurs a problem that drain water generated in the evaporator 100 leaks between the division surfaces.
To perform a function of the air conditioner for a vehicle, a plurality of cases and each of air conditioning functional parts are assembled to the upper unit case 102 and the lower unit case 103. Hereinafter, the plurality of cases and each of the air conditioning functional parts will be described briefly.
Into the lower unit case, there is provided an air-mixing door 104 for adjusting an amount of cool air having passed through the evaporator 100 to be blown toward a heater 101.
At a side of the evaporator 100, there is detachably provided a cover 105 for covering one side surface of the evaporator 100, through which the evaporator 100 can be checked or changed.
In the cover 105, there is formed a connecting opening 107 to be connected to a blower unit portion 106. Through the connecting opening 107, air generated in the blower unit portion 106 is blown into the evaporator 100 or the heater core 101.
At an upper portion of the upper unit case 103, there are disposed switching doors 108 and 109 for switching a flow direction of conditioned air. At an upper side of the upper unit case 103, there are disposed two cases 110 and 111 laminated one another.
In the case 110, there are disposed air outlet switching doors 112 and 113. Further, there are formed air opening portions 114-117 corresponding to predetermined air outlets provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
To the lower unit case 102, there are attached two cases 118 and 119 laminated one another. In this way, there is formed an air passage through which warm air having passed through the heater core 101 is blown upwardly and then is blown downwardly.
As described above, even the integrated unit capable of reducing the number of the parts conventionally is constructed such that a plurality of cases are assembled while being laminated in a vertical, lateral, or longitudinal direction. There is a problem in that the number of molding dies and the number of assembling processes are increased due to the increase of the number of the parts.